But there is no point in being intimidated. The Christchurch athlete says he is not racing and is more interested in wreaking revenge on his friend Dave Irwin, of Auckland - a university mate who told Gurney about the Coast to Coast race.
Gurney raced it 19 times and won it nine times between 1990 and 2003, making his name synonymous with the event.
"He [Irwin] said, `We should do this event,' and then he never did,'' Gurney said this week in an interview with the Otago Daily Times.
So Gurney is bringing Irwin to the Contact Epic instead.
Irwin is an experienced cyclist but he had better be fighting fit because Gurney is thinking of making him ride on a tandem.
And despite Gurney's protestations about being in retirement, there could just be a last-minute change of plan.
"Racing? Definitely not. But there's something about athletes who used to race. When the gun goes off, there's a little switch that goes off as well,'' Gurney admitted.
He is realistic about the rugged challenge ahead, which could take up to 10 hours.
Many Wanaka contestants are also quietly admitting the race is a bit daunting, even while batting away the inevitable volley of abuse from non-cyclists who believe they know better.
"It is definitely not a short race. The 125km is a bit of an epic, actually. You are going out there for a long time,'' Gurney said.
One thing Gurney has in common with everyone else is he has not done the whole circuit of Lake Hawea before, and that is what attracted him here.
"It is not very often at all people get around there because it is private property round the back. I just see it as a good thing to encourage landowners in the high country to allow recreationalists access. And I like where we have events and incentives where people can get out and exercise; if it can be something where people can get out and ride their bikes,'' Gurney said.
Another thing he likes is organiser LMS Events Ltd's philosophy that competitors must take personal responsibility for themselves.
He finds it a refreshing approach after the fallout from the death of a cyclist several years ago in Le Race at Akaroa. The court case against the Le Race organiser forced changes in sports event management, but some organisers also decided to discontinue events, Gurney said.
"They [LMS Events] are giving us a chance to understand personal responsibility . . . They are not wrapping us in cotton wool. It is up to us to choose what repair equipment, what food, what clothing we take. I really applaud that. The whole society is going the way of cotton wool
and we are losing the chance to learn about personal risk,'' Gurney said.
Kiwi culture was about living in a good place to learn about adventure and having a beautiful country to explore. If events became over-regulated, the country would not be a nice place to live any more, he said.
Gurney is more than prepared to shoulder risk and has tales of endurance races in jungles, swamps, caves and deserts - including his own near-death experience in 1994 after contracting leptospirosis from bat dung in Malaysia. The disease can cause circulatory collapse, pulmonary
oedema and renal failure.
He finds it satisfying to do his own research and make his own decisions, right down to what sort of woolly hat he will wear. He credits his preparation skills to Boys Brigade tramping trips as a child, when he carried large packs filled with everything from tent-repair kits to fishing
line so he could catch tea if he got lost.
Learning to make lists and figuring it all out when a child was "really cool'', he said.
"The more I make it my personal responsibility, the greater the reward is,'' he said.
These days, Gurney is a motivational speaker, but he continues to seek adrenaline rushes from challenging activities at least twice a year.
He is writing his biography after having his arm twisted by publishers, and recently formed a new
"conference building'' company called Hot Teams.
Gurney describes it as a ``new concept in team building that's not embarrassing'', and a "boardroom version'' of the Eco Challenge.
Recently, Gurney and another sports-mad friend, Steve Moffat, completed a re-enactment of the 1800s "Coast to Coast'' expedition from Jacksons to Hurunui by Moffat's great-great-uncle George Park, of Hokitika.
Park took 13 days to travel 330km across the South Island from west to east, using a wooden kayak.
Moffatt did the trip the hard way, using turn-of-the-century equipment and clothing. Gurney used the modern equivalents. Moffatt had a miserable time in places but the pair had great fun as they filmed their journey for a documentary they hope to produce soon.
"We were exhilarated but cream-crackered,'' Gurney said.
And that is exactly how 500 Contact Epic mountain-bikers can expect to feel at Lake Hawea tonight.
Course and race details
-Start
Today
- Be parked by 6.30am; pre-race briefing 6.45am.
- 125km Epic starts 7am at Contact Energy dam, Lake Hawea.
- 95km Classic starts 7am at Kidds Bush Recreational Reserve, Meads Rd.
Route
- Ride west along sealed SH6 for 23km. Turn right at The Neck into gravel Meads Rd. Head towards Kidds Bush. Pass Hunter Valley homestead. Ride 4WD tracks to head of Lake Hawea. Next section includes 20km of creek crossings and a climb to 525m.
About 5km past the head of the lake, turn towards airstrip near Boundary Hut and then towards Hunter River. Cross river where marked with cairns and ride to Green Bush Hut (66km/37km point).
Ride south towards Dingleburn Station. Next 20km includes some sharp climbs and longer descents. Pass Dingleburn Station homestead (don't miss the tea and scone fundraiser for the Dickson children's correspondence school computer). Ride along Rocky Point Bluffs to Timaru
Creek. Final 20km to Lake Hawea is on gravel road.
Finish
- Lake Hawea Motor Inn
Race hints
- Get your mountain bike serviced before the event, carry spare tubes, lube oil and repair tools and know how to use them.
- Be prepared for changes in weather. Take thermal clothing, first-aid kit and sunscreen.
- Take food and water to last the distance. Water bottles can be filled from the lake.
- Average hobby mountainbikers should allow 10 hours to complete the course.
For race rules and compulsory gear checklists: www.lakehaweaepic.co.nz
